OUTDOOR PARENTING 101 - WITH JOHN E. PHILLIPS, JR.
Don’t Waste an Opportunity When Outside with
the Birds and the Bees
 EDITOR'S
NOTE: All of us want the best for our children and want
to spend as much time as possible with them. My now-grown
son, John, has written his thoughts about the importance
of outdoor parenting, and I wanted to share them with
you. After hearing John’s recollections about
our time spent outdoors, I realize that sometimes we
don’t recognize the value of an outdoor heritage
or understand what time outdoors means to the young
people involved or how it impacts our children.
The outdoor trip began auspiciously with a small paperback
book with a picture of a boy on its front and the title,
"Almost Twelve," that my father plopped down
into my lap. I had no idea about the
contents of the book, but felt I'd spend the next few
hours finding out. "I want you to read this book
and ask me any questions you may have," my father
told me. For the first time, he was talking seriously
to me about sex and knew his best chance would be in
the car on the way to a hunting or fishing destination.
Never before or since was there so much silence on one
of our outdoor excursions. I tried to understand the
fancy words and diagrams in the book, while my father
had a peculiar look on his face like he wanted me to
ask a question but really didn't. My dad explained that
sex was something that should be saved for marriage
when two people loved each other. The book wasn't that
interesting or informative, but I learned on this trip
that I could talk
with my dad about anything. The book broke down barriers
and sparked some key conversations about marriage and
sex. On later trips, I felt free to discuss dating,
girlfriends and what I should look for in a wife without
being embarrassed or nervous.
Don't Run Away From Your Fears, Meet Them Head On:
My godfather, Bubber Cameron, also played a key role
in my life. "Mr. Bubber" owned a quail preserve
and bird dog training school in Panola, Alabama, where
I often spent time with him and his sons. Mr. Bubber,
a very-religious man who always put his faith and his
family first, never shied away from teaching outdoor
lessons. Unfortunately quail hunting at Mr. Bubber's
meant  riding
horses. Although I'd always loved animals, every time
I'd been around a horse, I'd been bucked-off, kicked
or bitten. Before the hunt, I talked to Mr. Bubber and
told him how scared I was. He pulled me off to the side,
and in his slow southern drawl gave me some quick advice.
"John, don't let the horse know you're scared or
else he’ll react to that fear and get nervous.
Sit up there, be confident, and don't be afraid to face
what scares you." His advice paid off. By the end
of the day, I'd changed from someone scared to death
of horses, to an accomplished rider. Even though I didn't
have much success shooting quail or working the bird
dogs, I learned a key life lesson from the day's events:
confidence in myself and my abilities could help me
conquer my faults and face my fears.
TOMORROW: FIND A GOOD WIFE
LIKE YOU PICK A GOOD BIRDDOG
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